happiness and positive psychology

Happiness and Positive Happiness and Positive PsychologyPsychology

Dr. Phil Watkins

I. An Introduction to I. An Introduction to Positive PsychologyPositive Psychology

A) The Importance of a Positive

Psychology

Sadly, while plumbing the depths of what Sadly, while plumbing the depths of what is worst in life, psychology has lost its is worst in life, psychology has lost its connection to the positive side of life – the connection to the positive side of life – the knowledge about what makes human life knowledge about what makes human life most worth living, most fulfilling, most most worth living, most fulfilling, most enjoyable and most productive.enjoyable and most productive.

-Martin E. P. Seligman-Martin E. P. Seligman

27,928

78,183

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

Number of Publications

Positive Emotions Negative Emotions

Type of Emotion or Trait

Figure 1Number of Psychology Related Publicaions Relevant to

Positive and Negative Psychology

Occurrences of Positive and Negative Emotions in the BibleOccurrences of Positive and Negative Emotions in the Bible

Positive

Emotions

Negative

Emotions

Positive & Negative Psychology Publications Over TimePositive & Negative Psychology Publications Over Time

1900-1910

1911-1920

1921-1930

1931-1940

1941-1950

1951-1960

1961-1970

1971-1980

1981-1990

1991-2000

Publication Dates

% of Total Records

Positive Psychology

NegativePsychology

I. An Introduction to I. An Introduction to Positive PsychologyPositive Psychology

A) The Importance of a Positive

Psychology

B) What is Positive Psychology?

What is Positive Psychology?What is Positive Psychology?

…the positive side of life – the knowledge about what makes human life most worth living, most fulfilling, most enjoyable and most productive.

II. The Psychology of HappinessII. The Psychology of Happiness

A) The What of Happiness

1) Defining Happiness

Myer’s definition of happiness:Myer’s definition of happiness:

“…a pervasive sense that life is good.”

(p. 23)

2) Measuring Happiness

Happy Faces MeasureHappy Faces Measure

The Distribution of HappinessThe Distribution of Happiness

Distribution of Nations and Mean

Subjective Well-Being

1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8

Mean SWB

% Mean Estimates of American SWB

% Lifetime Depression % Who Report PositiveLife Satisfaction

% chronicnonhospitalized mentalpatients reporting morepositive than negative

affect

Means of % Estimates of SWB

Working AdultsPsychology MajorsClinical Graduate StudentsCorrect Response

2) Measuring Happiness

3) Positive Emotions and Happiness

B) The Why of Happiness

1) Why study happiness?

“...how to gain, how to keep, how to recover happiness is in fact for most men at all times the secret motive of all they do"

-William James (1902/1958, p. 76)

Positive Emotions:Positive Emotions:» Broaden: Your scope of attention Your scope of cognition Your scope of action

» Build: Your physical resources Your intellectual resources Your social resources

Problem Solving & Positive AffectProblem Solving & Positive Affect

Percent Solving Problem

No Film Non-HumorousFilm

Funny Film

What good is happiness?What good is happiness?

The utility of happiness

(Veenhoven, 1984)

II. The Psychology of HappinessII. The Psychology of HappinessA) The What of Happiness

2) What things don’t cause happiness…and why

a) Material Wealth

Positive Emotion & Longevity Positive Emotion & Longevity (The Nun Study)(The Nun Study)

86.6 86.8

Mean Age of Death

Low Low/Moderate High/Moderate High

Positive Emotion Sentences

Happiness and National GNPHappiness and National GNP

Relationship of Income To Happiness

Personal Income

Percent Very Happy

Why can’t you buy your Why can’t you buy your happiness?happiness?

Pete Incavelia (former Pete Incavelia (former outfielder for the Texas outfielder for the Texas Rangers):Rangers): "People think we make $3 million or $4 million a year. They don't realize that most of us only make $500,000”

““An ever increasing An ever increasing craving for an ever craving for an ever

diminishing pleasure is diminishing pleasure is the formula” the formula” -C. S. Lewis, (-C. S. Lewis, (Screwtape Screwtape

LettersLetters, 1961/1982, p. 42), 1961/1982, p. 42)

How much would you need How much would you need per year to fulfill your dreams?per year to fulfill your dreams?

50,000

102,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

100,000

110,000

1987 1994

B) The Why of Happiness 1) Why study happiness?

a) Material Wealth

b) Age

Percent "Satisfied with life"

15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

Age & SWB in 16 Nations

Age Group

a) Material Wealth

b) Age

c) Gender

a) Material Wealth

b) Age

c) Gender

d) Ethnicity

II. The Psychology of HappinessII. The Psychology of HappinessB) The Why of Happiness

a) Material Wealth

b) Age

c) Gender

d) Ethnicity

e) Intelligence

Amount of Knowledge

Intelligent Less Intelligent

Intelligence and Knowledge about the World

Amount of Knowledge

Intelligent Less Intelligent

Intelligence and Knowledge about the World

Can a mortal ask questions which Can a mortal ask questions which God findsGod finds unanswerable? Quite unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All non-sense easily, I should think. All non-sense questions are unanswerable. How questions are unanswerable. How many hours are there in a mile? Is many hours are there in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we ask—half our half the questions we ask—half our great theological and metaphysical great theological and metaphysical problems—are like that.problems—are like that.

-C. S. Lewis (1961), A Grief Observed, p. 81-82

3) Things that are related to happiness…and why

To be what is called happy, To be what is called happy, one should have something to one should have something to live on, something to live for, live on, something to live for,

and something to die for. The and something to die for. The lack of one of these results in lack of one of these results in

drama. The lack of two of drama. The lack of two of these results in tragedy.these results in tragedy.

-Cyprian Norwid-Cyprian Norwid

3) Things that are Related to Happiness and Why3) Things that are Related to Happiness and Why

a) Happy Genes (and other biological factors)

"So we never live, but we hope to live -- and as we are always preparing to be happy, it is inevitable we should never be so."

-Pascal

We want a whole race perpetually in pursuit of the rainbow’s end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now, but always using as mere fuel wherewith to heap the altar of the Future every real gift which is offered them in the Present.

-CS Lewis, Screwtape Letters, p. 70

The happiness which is lacking makes one think even the happiness one has unbearable.

-Joseph Roux, Meditations of a Parish Priest (1886)

A great obstacle to happiness is to anticipate too great a happiness.

-Fontenelle, Du Bonheur (1687)

The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of

unhappiness.-Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of

Mind (1954)

One of the surest ways to avoid being happy is to insist on being happy at all costs. The religion of cheerfulness, as Father Brown reminds us, is a cruel religion, and maybe the best way not to go mad is not to mind much if you go mad.

-Simon Tugwell, (1980).

The greatest happiness you can have is knowing that you do not necessarily

require happiness.-William Saroyan

Correlations Between Attractiveness & SWB

-0.05 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2

VideoInterview

Unadorned

Natural (fulllength)

Natural (head& shoulders)

Fordyce

b) The Happy Personality

Happiness depends, as Happiness depends, as Nature shows,Nature shows,

Less on exterior things than Less on exterior things than most suppose.most suppose.

-William Cowper-William Cowper

1) The Big 5 Approach

The Big 5 Personality TraitsThe Big 5 Personality Traits

OOpenness

CConscientiousness

EExtraversion

AAgreeableness

NNeuroticism

2) More Specific Cognitive Traits of Happy People

3) Things that are Related to Happiness and Why3) Things that are Related to Happiness and Whyb) The Happy Personality

a) Happy people are not Defensive

b) Happy people don’t rest on Chance

c) Happy people tend to be Trusting people

d) Happy people tend to be Emotionally Stable

e) Happy people tend to want Control of their life

f) Happy people are Hardy people

g) Happy people tend to be Grateful people

3) Summarizing the Traits of Happy People

a) Traits that focus on emotional tendencies

b) Relationship enhancing traits

c) The way people tend to explain their lives

2) Specific Cognitive Traits of Happy People

3) Summarizing the Traits of Happy People

4) How are Personality Traits Related to Happiness?

a) Temperament Models

b) Congruence Models

c) Cognitive Models

d) Emotion Training Models

c) Satisfied with Self, Satisfied with Life

1) Importance of Positive Self-Regard

How might Self-How might Self-Esteem contribute Esteem contribute to Subjective Well-to Subjective Well-

Being?Being?

Correlations With Self-Esteem

-0.2 0 0.2 0.4

Lifestyle:Upward

Lifestyle:Same Level

Lifestyle:Downward

Assets:Upward

Assets: Samelevel

Assets:Downward

Happy Effect

# of Comparisons

High S-E Low S-ESelf-Esteem

Actual Regard

Perceived Regard

M u rra y’s Mo de l o f R e l a t io ns hi po f S el f -E s te em t o Pe r c e iv ed

R e l a t io ns h ip an d t o R e l a t io ns hi pSa ti s f a ct io n

Self-Esteem

Partner’sPerceivedRegard

RelationshipPerceptions

NarcissismNarcissism

Personal Superiority Inflated Sense of Entitlement Inflated Sense of Uniqueness

Pride is essentially competitive – is competitive by its very nature – while the other vices are only competitive, so to speak, by accident. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man…It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest.

-C. S. Lewis (1943/1996, p. 110)

1515.4

1616.8 17

Worstperiod ofyour life

AverageAustralian

Your life atpresent

Best periodof your life

Life youexpect in 5

Life youfeel youdeserve

Best lifeyou couldhope for

Figure 8.1Subjective well-being ratings on the "Ladder of Life"

MID-POINT

BEST LIFE ANYBODY COULD LIVE

2) The Importance of Humility

How do you think most people How do you think most people picture a humble person?picture a humble person?

"Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak."

-G. K. Chesterton

““A proud man is always A proud man is always looking down on things looking down on things and people: and, of and people: and, of course, as long as you are course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot looking down, you cannot see something that is see something that is above you.”above you.”

-C. S. Lewis

“There is the strangest lightness about the heart when one’s nothingness is once accepted in good faith…Everything added to the Self is a burden as well as a pride.”

-William James

If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.

-C. S. Lewis

a- The humble person is self-forgetful

"In every part and corner "In every part and corner of our life, to lose oneself of our life, to lose oneself is to be a gainer, to forget is to be a gainer, to forget oneself is to be happy.”oneself is to be happy.”

-Robert Lewis Stevenson

““A person who has gained a A person who has gained a sense of humility is no longer sense of humility is no longer phenomenologically at the center phenomenologically at the center of his or her world. His or her of his or her world. His or her focus is on the larger community, focus is on the larger community, of which he or she is a part.”of which he or she is a part.”

-June Tangney (2000, p. 72)

““Feelings of insecurity, Feelings of insecurity, inadequacy, inferiority, and self-inadequacy, inferiority, and self-hatred rivet our attention on hatred rivet our attention on ourselves. Humble men and ourselves. Humble men and women do not have a women do not have a lowlow opinion of themselves; they opinion of themselves; they have have nono opinion of themselves, opinion of themselves, because they rarely think about because they rarely think about themselves.”themselves.”

-Brennan Manning

b- The humble person has an accurate view of herself

Humility is the realistic appraisal of one’s strengths and weaknesses—neither overestimating nor underestimating them. To be humble is not to have a low opinion of oneself, it is to have an accurate opinion of oneself. It is the ability to keep one’s talents and accomplishments in perspective…, to have a sense of self-acceptance, an understanding of one’s imperfections, and to be free from arrogance and low self-esteem.

-Bob Emmons

Human Weaknesses and Limitations Human Weaknesses and Limitations the Humble Person is Aware of:the Humble Person is Aware of:

The self-serving bias Our vulnerability to evil Our contingency She knows that she doesn’t know

c- The humble person is able to laugh at herself

Pride cannot rise to levity or levitation. Pride is the downward drag of all things into an easy solemnity. One “settles down” into a sort of selfish seriousness; but one has to rise to a gay self-forgetfulness. A man “falls” into a brown study; he reaches up at a blue sky. Seriousness is not a virtue…For solemnity flows out of men naturally; but laughter is a leap. It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light. Satan fell by the force of gravity.

-G.K. Chesterton

d- Humble people give up their high pretentions

William James Self-Esteem William James Self-Esteem FormulaFormula

Self-esteem = Success

Pretensions

c) Satisfied with Self, Satisfied with Life1) Importance of Positive Self-Regard

a- The humble person is self-forgetfulb- The humble person has an accurate view of

herselfc- The humble person is able to laugh at

herselfd- Humble people give up their high

pretentions

e- Humble people appreciate simple pleasures

The truth is, that all genuine appreciation rests on a certain The truth is, that all genuine appreciation rests on a certain mystery of humility and almost darkness. The man who said, mystery of humility and almost darkness. The man who said, “Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall not be “Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall not be disappointed,” put the eulogy quite inadequately and even disappointed,” put the eulogy quite inadequately and even falsely. The truth is, “Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for falsely. The truth is, “Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall be gloriously surprised.” The man who expects he shall be gloriously surprised.” The man who expects nothing sees redder roses than common men can see, and nothing sees redder roses than common men can see, and greener grass, and a more startling sun. Blessed is he that greener grass, and a more startling sun. Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall possess the cities and the expecteth nothing, for he shall possess the cities and the mountains; blessed is the meek, for he shall inherit the earth. mountains; blessed is the meek, for he shall inherit the earth. Until we realize that things might not be, we cannot realize that Until we realize that things might not be, we cannot realize that things are. Until we see that darkness we cannot admire the things are. Until we see that darkness we cannot admire the light as a single and created thing. As soon as we have seen light as a single and created thing. As soon as we have seen that darkness, all light is lightening, sudden, blinding, and that darkness, all light is lightening, sudden, blinding, and divine. divine.

-G. K. Chesterton

d- Humble people give up their high pretentions

e- Humble people appreciate simple pleasures

d) Happy at Work, Happy in Life

1) The Employed are Happier than the Unemployed

Why does employment Why does employment contribute to happiness?contribute to happiness?

Unemployment degrades self-esteemUnemployment contributes to an external

locus of controlUnemployment contributes to boredom

2) What Kind of Work is Happy Work?

"When work is a pleasure, "When work is a pleasure, life is a joy! When work is life is a joy! When work is a duty, life is slavery."a duty, life is slavery."

-Maxism Gorky

"I am doing work which is worth "I am doing work which is worth doing. It would still be worth doing. It would still be worth doing if nobody paid for it. But doing if nobody paid for it. But as I have no private means, and as I have no private means, and need to be fed and housed and need to be fed and housed and clothed, I must be paid while I do clothed, I must be paid while I do it."it."

-C.S. Lewis

How can work provide How can work provide us with meaning?us with meaning?

IdentityPurpose

2) What Kind of Work is Happy Work?

3) Work that Flows is Happy Work

Job Complexity & DepressionJob Complexity & Depression

-2 -1 0 1 2

Job Complexity

Depression

Too Little Good Fit Too Much

LowChallenge

High Challenge

LowSkills

HighSkills

“Well-being resides not in mindless passivity but in mindful

challenge.”

-David Myers

Ways to turn boredom into Ways to turn boredom into excitement (Myers):excitement (Myers):

Set Goals Immerse Yourself in the Activity Be Mindful of What is Happening Enjoy the Immediate Experience

"It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation, which

give happiness."

-Thomas Jefferson

a) Happy Genes b) The Happy Personalityc) Satisfied with Self, Satisfied with

Lifed) Happy at Work, Happy in Lifee) Happiness at Play

Joy in Different Group ActivitiesJoy in Different Group Activities

Rated Joy

SportingSocialMusical

Volunteer

Evening Class

DancingReligiousPoliticalHobbiesCharityDrama

Group Activity

Satisfaction with Different ActivitiesSatisfaction with Different Activities(Robinson, 1977)(Robinson, 1977)

% Claiming "Great

Satisfaction"

TV Housework Sports &Games

Religion Children

What can we do to reassess What can we do to reassess our leisure time?our leisure time?

Think about how you use you leisure time now

Ask yourself what active hobbies and leisure activities you enjoy doing

Ask yourself what kind of active leisure activities you enjoy most

Ask yourself what you would have to do to engage yourself in those activities more frequently

Plan for your leisure

Lifed) Happy at Work, Happy in Lifee) Happiness at Playf) Happy People are Social People

1) Friendships

Positive Affect with Different CompanionsPositive Affect with Different Companions(Larson, 1990)(Larson, 1990)

-0.3-0.2-0.1

00.10.20.30.40.50.6

13-18 19-29 30-39 40-54 55-69 70-85

Happiness Score

With FriendsWith FamilyAlone

Why does friendship Why does friendship seem to enhance seem to enhance

happiness?happiness?

f) Happy People are Social People

1) Friendships

2) Love and Marriage

Does marriage benefit men Does marriage benefit men more than women?more than women?

Marriage and DepressionMarriage and Depression

Annual Depression Rate

Married NeverMarried

DivorcedOnce

Cohabit DivorcedTwice

Problems with CohabitationProblems with Cohabitation 1990 Gallup survey showed that of those

still married, 40% of those who had cohabited before marriage said they might divorce, but only 21% of those who had not.

A Canadian survey found that women who had cohabited were 50% more likely to have divorced within 15 years

A Swedish study found that cohabitation was associated with an 80% greater risk of divorce

Serial cohabiters are even more likely to divorce

Marital Satisfaction by Family Life Cycle Stage

Honeymoon BeforeChildren

Childrenunder 5

AdolescentChildren

V VI VII VIII

Blood-Wolfe

Locke-Wallace

British study

Rollins-Feldman

Why might marriage enhance Why might marriage enhance happiness?happiness?

Marriage offers meaning to the individual

Marriage offers an intimate, supportive relationship that endures over time and life circumstances

Lifed) Happy at Work, Happy in Lifee) Happiness at Playf) Happy People are Social Peopleg) Happy People are Giving People

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

% of Respondents

I meet people and make friendsthrough it

It's the satisfaction of seeingthe results

It gives me the chance to dothings that I'm good at

It makes me feel less selfish asa person

I really enjoy it

It's part of my religious beliefor life philosophy to give help

It gives me a sense of personalachievement

It gets me "out of myself"

The Benefits of Volunteering

Not Important at all

Not Very Important

Fairly Important

Very Important

Lifed) Happy at Work, Happy in Lifee) Happiness at Playf) Happy People are Social Peopleg) Happy People are Giving Peopleh) How Happy People Cope

h) How Happy People Cope

1) Positive Affect in the Midst of Stress

2) The Coping Strategies of Happy People

0.40.6

Change in Positive Affect

Happy Unhappy

+/No Peer FB+/Peer Even better-/No Peer FB-/Peer Even Worse

Change in Self-Confidence

Happy Unhappy

+/No Peer FB+/Peer Even better-/No Peer FB-/Peer Even Worse

Lifed) Happy at Work, Happy in Lifee) Happiness at Playf) Happy People are Social Peopleg) Happy People are Giving Peopleh) How Happy People Copei) The Goals of Happy People

What are goals?What are goals?

—What people are typically trying to do in life (Austin & Vancouver, 1996)

Write down your goalsWrite down your goals

(using our definition)

i) The Goals of Happy People

1- The existence of goals

2- Progressing toward your goals

3- Goal content

4- Goal conflict

Lifed) Happy at Work, Happy in Lifee) Happiness at Playf) Happy People are Social Peopleg) Happy People are Giving Peopleh) How Happy People Copei) The Goals of Happy Peoplej) Spirituality and Happiness

j) Spirituality and Happiness

1- The Relationship

Happiness & Religious AttendanceHappiness & Religious Attendance

Less thanmonthly

Monthly + Nearly weekly Weekly Several/Week

j) Spirituality and Happiness

1- The Relationship

2- Why are Religious People Happier?

a- social support

b- coping benefits

c- goal integration

d- a balanced view of self

e- increased gratitude

McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang (2002) McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang (2002) found that grateful people tend to:found that grateful people tend to:

feel that religion is more important attend church and other religious

services more frequently have more religious friends read Scripture more pray more often rate their relationship with God as more

intimate

Relationship of Gratitude to ReligiosityRelationship of Gratitude to Religiosity

-0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4

Intrinsic

Extrinsic

3) Things that are Related to Happiness and Why3) Things that are Related to Happiness and Whya) Happy Genes b) The Happy Personalityc) Satisfied with Self, Satisfied with Lifed) Happy at Work, Happy in Lifee) Happiness at Playf) Happy People are Social Peopleg) Happy People are Giving Peopleh) How Happy People Copei) The Goals of Happy Peoplej) Spirituality and Happinessk) Happy Memoryl) Life Stories of Happy People

I. Introduction to Positive psychology

II. The Psychology of Happiness

III. The Psychology of Virtue: The Example of Gratitude

A) The What and Why of Gratitude

1) Gratitude and Indebtedness

% Reporting Emotion

Enjoyable

Indebtedness Gratitude

Phenomenology of Indebtedness and Gratitude

ProcedureProcedureSubjects Recruitedfrom Psychology

Courses

Random assignment to obligation condition

NoObligation

(n=35)

Moderate Obligation(expectation of

expression of gratitude,n=37)

High Obligation(expectation of

gratitude expressionand return favor,

Emotional Expression Scales

Action Tendency Measures

PANAS and Trait GratitudeQuestionnaires

Gratitude and Indebtedness by Obligation Condition

No Obligation ModerateObligation

High Obligation

Obligation Condition

Level of Emotion

Gratitude

Indebtedness

Future Help by Obligation Condition

None Moderate High

Level of Obligation

Future Liklihood of Help

Thought/Action Tendency by Obligation Condition

None Moderate High

Obligation Condition

Z Scores

Adoration

Approach

Action Tendency Correlations with Gratitude and Indebtedness

-.27**

.40***

.57***

-.37***

-0.5 -0.3 -0.1 0.1 0.3 0.5

Adoration

Approaching

Yielding

Active Against

Passive Negative

Passive Against

Gratitude

Indebtedness

Correlations of Dispositional Gratitude with Various Measures

-0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4

Gratitude

Annoyed

Adoration

Approach

-0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3

Pearson Correlation Coefficients

NegativeAffect Change

Positive AffectChange

Correlations of Gratitude and Indebtedness Response with Affect Change

Indebtedness

Gratitude

ConclusionsConclusions Gratitude and indebtedness can be

dissociated Gratitude and indebtedness may best be

viewed as distinct states With an increasing sense of obligation,

indebtedness increases but gratitude decreases

Gratitude covaries with positive emotional states but indebtedness covaries with guilt

Gratitude is associated with an increased inclination for future altruism but indebtedness is not

A Paradox of Giving and A Paradox of Giving and GratitudeGratitude

If gifts are given for the purpose of receiving return favors from the beneficiary,

the beneficiary is less likely to feel grateful, and less likely to

feel like returning the favor

III. The Psychology of Virtue: The Example of Gratitude

A) The What and Why of Gratitude

2) The Conditions of Gratitude

Recognitions of GratitudeRecognitions of Gratitude

Recognize the gift Recognize the goodness of the gift Recognize the goodness of the

giver Recognize the gratuitous nature of

the gift

III. The Psychology of Virtue: The Example of GratitudeA) The What and Why of Gratitude

2) The Conditions of Gratitude

3) Gratitude as State and Trait

The Trait and State of GratitudeThe Trait and State of Gratitude

Attitude of Gratitude:Attitude of Gratitude:

The Pervasive sense that all of

life is a gift.

What are the Characteristics What are the Characteristics of a Grateful Person?of a Grateful Person?

Lack of a sense of deprivation (or a sense of abundance)

Appreciation for simple pleasures

Appreciation for others

Importance of expressing gratitude

B) Gratitude and Happiness

C. S. Lewis’ Approach to Praise

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete until it is expressed.

1) Are Grateful People Happy People?

Relationships of Gratitude Relationships of Gratitude with Positive Stateswith Positive States

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

Satisfaction withLife

Elation/Depression

PositiveAffectivity

Happiness(Fordyce)

Percent Happy(Fordyce)

Happy Bias(Fordyce)

-0.55 -0.35 -0.15 0.05 0.25 0.45 0.65

Sociability*

Emotionality*

Neuroticism*

Comparison of Correlations of Gratitude and Other Personality Variables with the Satisfaction With Life Scale

Pearson r correlation Coefficients

1) Are Grateful People Happy People?

2) Does Gratitude Cause Happiness?

Effect of Mood InductionsEffect of Mood Inductions(Westermann et al., 1996)(Westermann et al., 1996)

Facial ExpressionSocial Interaction

Music Music +FeedbackImaginationVelten Gift

Film/StoryFilm/Story +

Impact of Gratitude InductionImpact of Gratitude Induction(from Woodward, 2000)(from Woodward, 2000)

Mean PANAS Scores

Positive Affect Negative Affect

GratitudeResentment

Expression of Gratitude & Well-BeingExpression of Gratitude & Well-Being(Stone & Watkins, 2001)(Stone & Watkins, 2001)

-1.1 -1.1-1.21

Mean PANAS Change Scores

Positive Affect Negative Affect

Control

Grateful Thinking

Grateful Essay

Grateful Letter

III. The Psychology of Virtue: The Example of GratitudeB) Gratitude and Happiness

3) How Might Gratitude Cause Happiness?

How Might Gratitude Enhance How Might Gratitude Enhance Happiness?Happiness?

Are goods better when they’re gifts? Does gratitude counteract the principle of

adaptation? Does gratitude direct our attention away

from upward social comparison targets? Does gratitude enhance a happy memory

Gratitude & Intentional Memory BiasGratitude & Intentional Memory Bias11.79

Number of Memories Recalled

Positive Negative

Valence of Memory

Grateful

Less Grateful

Gratitude & Intrusive Memory BiasGratitude & Intrusive Memory Bias

2.252.5

Number of Memories Recalled

Positive Negative

Valence of Memory

Grateful

Less Grateful

Emotional Impact Ratings of Emotional Impact Ratings of Positive MemoriesPositive Memories

Then Now

Less gratefulGrateful

Emotional Impact Ratings of Emotional Impact Ratings of Negative MemoriesNegative Memories

Then Now

Less gratefulGrateful

Do grateful people Do grateful people notice and relish notice and relish

positive events more positive events more than less grateful than less grateful

individuals?individuals?

How Might Gratitude Enhance How Might Gratitude Enhance Happiness?Happiness?

Are goods better when they’re gifts? Does gratitude counteract the principle of

adaptation? Does gratitude direct our attention away

from upward social comparison targets? Does gratitude enhance a happy memory

bias? Does gratitude enhance adaptive coping?

Gratitude & PTSD Symptoms in Gratitude & PTSD Symptoms in Trauma SurvivorsTrauma Survivors

Modified PTSD Symptom Scale-SR

Low Moderate High

Gratitude Status

Gratitude & Impact of Event on Gratitude & Impact of Event on Trauma SurvivorsTrauma Survivors

Impact of Event Scale-R

Low Moderate High

Gratitude Status

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

Attention toFeelings

Clarity of Feelings

Mood Repair

Total TMMS

Correlations of Gratitude with TMMS Scales

Pearson r correlation Coefficients

How Might Gratitude Enhance Happiness?How Might Gratitude Enhance Happiness? Are goods better when they’re gifts? Does gratitude counteract the principle of

adaptation? Does gratitude direct our attention away from

upward social comparison targets? Does gratitude enhance a happy memory bias? Does gratitude enhance adaptive coping? Does gratitude increase social benefits? Does gratitude prevent depression?

Relationship of Gratitude to Relationship of Gratitude to Unpleasant StatesUnpleasant States

-0.6 -0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0

% Unhappy

Anxiety

NegativeAffectivity

Negative Affect

Gratitude & Clinical DepressionGratitude & Clinical Depression183.87

171.55

150.23

Mean GRAT Score

Non-depressedControls

History ofDepression

Depressed

Clinical Status

III. The Psychology of Virtue: The Example of GratitudeA) The What and Why of GratitudeB) Gratitude and HappinessC) Happiness and Gratitude

A Cycle of Virtue?A Cycle of Virtue?

Enhancement, Elaborationand Completion of theEnjoyment of Benefits

Better Ab le toRecognize Good Giftsand Good Intentions

“Except where intolerably adverse circumstances interfere, praise almost seems to be inner health

made audible” -C. S. Lewis

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